Train-operated gate



H. C. McCONNELL.

TRAIN OPERATED GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8,. 1.921.

Patented July 4, 1922'.

2 SHEETSSHIEET 1.

fltfozneq H. 0; McCONNELL.

TRAIN OPERATED GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. I92I.- 1,421,51 2. Patented July 4, 1922.

2 SHEET SSHEET 2.

HENRY CLAY MCCONNELL, OF GRAND RIVER, IOWA.

TRAIN-OPERATED GATE.

Application filed March 8, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. MoCoNNELL, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Grand River, in the county 01 Decatur. State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Train-Operated Gate; and I do hereby de- Clarethe following to be a full. clear, and e act description of theinvention, such as ll enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to train operated gates and has for its object toprovide a device of this character which is opened and closed, throughthe medium of cables connected to pivoted lever, with which levers thetrain while moving in either direction engages, for closing and openingthe gate.

A further object is to provide a train operated gate and cable mechanismfor operating the gate, said cable mechanism being operated for closingthe gate by pivoted levers located remotely in relation to the gate andon each side thereof and to provide lever and cable means adjacent thegate whereby the gate will be opened immediately the first car or theengine of the train reaches the crossing.

A further object is to provide a lever and cable gate operatingmechanism, operated by a train, said mechanism being adapted for use inconnection with a pivoted arm gate or a lazy tong gate.

With the above and other objects m view the invention resides in thecombination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown inthe drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the'invention may be made within the scope ofwhat claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the gate and aportion of a railroad track.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the gate and a portion of the railroadtrack.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sect1onal view through one of thepivoted levers.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another :form of the invention,showing the use of a pivoted arm gate.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a portion of arailroad track and 2 a crossing. Disposed adjacent one sideSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4., 1922.

Serial No. 450,545.

of the track 1 is a post 8, Which supports the gate 4:. Gate 4 is alazy-tong gate and has its end 5 pivotally secured as at 6 to bracketscarried by the post 3, there being a pin and slot connection 7 and 8 toallow freedom of movement of one of the rear bars of the lazy tong,thereby allowing the lazy tong a whole to fold inwardly. Pivotallysecured on lugs 9 carried by supports adjacent the side of the railway 1and at points remote to the posts 3 and on each side thereof arehorizontally movable levers 10, the arms 11 of which are provided withright angled portions 12 which are engaged by a member carried by theengine. and preferably by the cow catcher for operating the mechanismhereinafter described. The levers 10 are returned to a right angledposition in relation to the track aliter each gate operation, by meansof coiled springs 9 one end of which is secured to the levers at 9 andthe other ends to the supports at 9.

By referring to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that a train has passedover the track 1 in the direction of the arrow (1 and has rocked thelever 10 on its pivotal point thereby imparting a pull on the wire 13,which wire extends through a conduit 1 1. and over a pulley 15 pivotallymounted on the post 3 and has its end secured as at 16 to a plate 17.Also secured to the plate 17 is an upwardly extending cable 18. whichcable passes overa pulley 19 carried by the post 3 and has its endsecured as at 20 to the eye of the pin 21 of the lazy tong. Cable 18. atthe time that a pull is imparted to the cable 13, is also moved andpulled downwardly and the lazy tong forced open to the position shown inFigure 1. It is obvious that it will be essential to operate and throwthe lazy tong gate to the position shown in Figure 1 when a train ismov-- ing in the direction of the arrow Z). To accomplish this result.the cable 22 which passes through the conduit 23 adjacent the side ofthe track also passes over a pulley 24: carried by the post 3 and hasits end connected as at 25 to the plate 17. Thus it will be seen thatwhen the lever 10 is moved by the train, when the train is going in thedirection of the arrow 7) that the cable 22- will be moved in such amanner that the cable 18 will be pulled downwardly, thereby opening thelazy tong so that it will eX- tend across the crossing 2. To told thelazy tong gate inwardly a lever 26 is pivoted adjacent the post 3 as at27 and has an upstanding end 28 which is engaged by the engine when itreaches the crossing. When the lever 26 is rocked in either direction; apull will be imparted on a cable 29 which passes between the pulleys 30,thence upwardly over the pulley 31 and has its ends secured as at 32 toa. plate 33, which is lo cated adjacent the spaced rollers 34. Connectedto the plate 33 and extending over one ofthe rollers 34 and over thepulley 35, is a cable 36, theend of which is secured as at 3'7 to theeye of the bolt 21. Also connected to the plate 33' is a cable 38 whichcable passes over one of the pulleys a4: and

has its ends connected'to the plate l7. After the tongs have been movedto the position shown-in Figure'l by the train approaching the crossing,it will be seen that the plate 17 has-been moved'to' a point adjacentpulleys 15 and 24 a-ndthe plate 33 to a point acent the spacedpulleys34. During the upward'movement of the plate 33, cable 29 is straightenedand pivoted lever 26 moved to a right angled position in relation totlre'railroad track 1', therefore when the train is practically on thecrossing '2, it will rock the pivoted lever 26 and'inip'art a pull onthe cable 29, cables 36 and 38. This action of the cable 36 will causethe lazy tong gate to-b'e contracted inwardly and at the same time cable38 will pull'upwardly on the plate 17 and restorethe pivoted levers10'to normal position at right angles to the track 1. It will be seenthat no matter which way the train is going, that'only one lever 10 willbe in operative position, and that the other lever will be movedout ofposition wlie-reit will be engaged by the train.

Referring to" Figure 5-, it will be seen that the cables an'd'22'extendover the rollers 15 and 2t and are secured to the plate 17 and that thecable 26 carried by the restoring lever 26 passes over a pulley 27 andthence over a pulley 28 and has its end securedat 29 to the plate 1'7.It will be seen that after a downward pull has been im'parted to thecable 39 which passes over thepulleys 40 and is connected as at- 411 'toa pivoted gate-412, that said gate" will be pulled downwardly to thehorizontally. disposed position shown in Figure 5, and the Figure 0.

plate 17* to the lowered position shown in Pivoted arm 42 is pivoted tothe post 3 as at 43, and is provided with theweighted end 44, whichweighted end when strain is released on the cable 39 sufficientlycounterbalances the arm 42 so that when all strain is released from thecable 39, said armu'nder the influence of the weighted end 44: moves toa vertical position. However to sufiiciently relieve the strain on thecable 29, the engine when it approaches the crossing. engages the lever26 thereby im parting a. pull on the cable 26. This action causes theplate li' to move upwardly, thereby relieving the strain on the cable 39and allowing the pivoted arm 40 to pivot upwardly to a substantiallyvertical position.

From the above it will be seen that a cable controlled and traincontrolled crossing gate is provided which is simple in construction andpositive in its operation and one which may be cheaply constructed.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and usefulis-:

A train operated gate, said gate comprising a lazy tong supported byapo'st and horizontally disposed, cables having their ends secured tothelazy tongs adjacent their rear pivotal point, one o'f'said cablespassing rearwa'rdly over a pulley and downwardlyover a pulley andleading to an operating lever adapted to be engaged by a train, theother cable leading away from the supported end of the lazy tongs andover apulley and downwardly and to a lever located remotely from thepost and adapted to be operated by a train, a lever pivoted adjacent thepost and adapted-to be operated by a train, a cable connected to saidlast named lever and passing between horizontally disposed pal: leys andupwardly and having its end connected to the rearward'ly extending cableand forming means whereby upon-a down-- ward pull on the same the lazytongs will be folded.

In testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this'specifi cation in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY CLA Y MCCONNELT.v lVitnesses EDWIN IIUTT, V H. M. RUBY.

